Electric lamp standard



y 1941- P. B. ROBERTS 2,243,775

ELECTRIC LAMP STANDARD Filed June 24, 1940 MVE/VTOB P/l/u 8. P035? T5Patented May 27, 1941 ELECTRIC LAlVH STANDARD Philip Barker Roberts,London, England Application June 24, 1940, Serial No. 342,187 In GreatBritain December 9, 1938 3 Claims.

This invention relates to electric standard and table lamps and pendant,wall and like electric lamp fittings, and the invention has in view toconveniently employ any suitable known kind of metal-sheathedself-supporting cable to form a substantially rigid column or bracketand to arrange for same to directly carry a lampholder in a stablemanner. The invention thus aims at providing a standard, table lamp orpendant, wall or like fitting which is capable of cheaper productionthan ordinary lamps and fittings which embody a tubular support orbracket and separate wiring passing through such tubular member, and,moreover, obviates difiiculties experienced in fitting such wiring.Further, the in vention provides a standard or fitting which is soconstructed that there is no fear of the lampholder being twisted withrespect to the standard or fitting or of the wiring becoming twisted anddamaged in consequence.

According to the invention, there is provided an electric standard ortable lamp or pendant, wall or like fitting having a column, bracket orthe equivalent constituted by a length of metal-sheathed self-supportingcable, and wherein a lampholder,

to which the conductors of the cable are connected or a carrier for aset of lamps embodying a connector block, has a base or casing directlyand permanently secured to, or formed integral with the sheath of saidcable at one end thereof, means being provided at the other end of saidcable for connecting the conductors of the cable to a source of supply,such as external mains or a battery accommodated in a hollow supportingfoot.

Preferably, the column, bracket or the equivalent is supported by meansof a base or wall or ceiling plate directly and permanently secured tothe sheath of the cable at the end thereof which is remote from thelampholder, means being provided, which is secured or adapted to liebehind the said plate, for connectin protruding ends of the cableconductors to supply leads. Alternatively, the cable may be bent into acoiled, scrolled or other form such as to form a supporting foot orattachment base, and in this case an electrical connecting member of anyconvenient form is attached to the free end of the cable, preferably bywelding a part thereof to the cable sheath. Preferably, the securing ofthe lampholder or casing to the cable consists in welding the former tothe sheath of the latter.

A standard or table lamp constructed according to a practical embodimentof the invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanyingdrawing which is a vertical section through such lamp.

The column I of the fitting consists of a length of metal-sheathedself-supporting cable. This cable is of the kind in which the conductors2 are embedded in an insulator filling 3, consisting of a highlycompressed mineral substance such as magnesium oxide contained within around tubular sheath 4 generally made of copper.

The fitting is constructed by cutting away end portions of the sheath 4and insulation 3 so that the conductors 2 protrude to the requiredextent at the respective ends of the cable. To the sheath 4 are welded(e. g. by brazing) at the respective ends of the cable a sleeve 5forming the neck of a metal lampholder base 6, and a sleeve I upstandingfrom a metal supporting base plate 8. The relative dispositions of theparts is such that portions of said sleeves 5 and I extend beyond theadjacent ends of the cable.

The ends of the conductors projecting at the upper end of the cable arenow bent to such a shape as to be capable of sliding into passages 9 ofthe conventional lampholder body I0, but before fitting said body I!) inposition there is poured into the lampholder base 6 a quantity of moltenresinous or similar substance I I sufficient to fill the space withinthe sleeve 5 which exists beyond the cable. This substance is to be ofsuch a nature as to bind solid to the cable filling 3 and to set whencold. There is next filled into the base member 6 a quantity of abituminous compound or other water-resisting plastic substance I2sufficient to occupy substantially the Whole of the space remaining insaid member 6 up to the level of a seating for the body member I0. Saidbody member I0 and the usual bayonet or screw socket piece I3 are thenfitted in place.

The space which exists beneath the lower end of the cable and within thesleeve 1 is now filled with a resinous or similar substance I4 havingthe same nature and function as the substance II aforesaid. The lowerends of the conductors which protrude beyond the substance I4 are fittedinto terminals I5 of a connector block I6 which serves to connect themto external leads IT. The block I6 may or may not be fixed to the plate8. The sleeve 1 instead of upstanding from the plate 8 may dependtherefrom.

In the arrangement shown, the plate 8 constitutes the supporting foot ofa standard or table lamp but same can equally well serve as a wall platefor a wall fitting or a ceiling plate for a pendant fitting. Whateverarrangement is adopted, the cable serves as a substantially rigid columnor bracket, and, instead of being straight, as shown, said cable may bebent into a swanneck or other desired shape.

The invention also contemplates the use of cable similar to that abovedescribed but employing more than two conductors, in which case the bodymember I will be provided with a corresponding number of terminals, and,instead of carrying lamp-engaging pins, will constitute a connectorblock for flexible or other leads which pass to different lampholders ofa set thereof suitably rigidly supported from the base member 6. Thisprovides for independent control of the lamps by external switches.

In the case where a set of lamps is to be supported, each of thebranches carrying a lamp may consist of a length of self-supportingmetalsheathed cable constructed as herein described with respect to themain column I which supports said branches, and having its associatedlampholder permanently attached to or formed integral with its metalsheathing. In such an arrangement, the main column I carries a junctionhead having its base permanently secured to or formed integral with thesheath of the main column I, and said junction head may be provided withbayonet or other sockets for connection of the branches, or saidbranches may be fixed members having their sheathing Welded or otherwisesecured to the junction head. This arrangement is applicable tostandards and brackets in which the main column I is provided with twoconductors, afiording common feed for all of the lamps and also toarrangements in which the main column I embodies separate conductors forthe different lamps.

As a further modification, several lengths of cable each fitted with alampholder as above described and supported by any suitable form or"base member may be bunched and secured or strapped together to form acolumn or bracket.

Although it is preferred to provide a base plate 8 arranged as abovedescribed, this may be dispensed with in some cases by bending the cableinto a coil or scroll to form a flat supporting foot. In that case thereis afiixed to the end of the cable which is remote from the lampholder,a connecting member of any suitable form for providing connection tosupply leads, said connecting member having a base or casing welded tothe cable sheath 4.

Further, it is to be understood that although the standard shown isadapted to be supplied from electric mains, an alternative arrangementis to feed the lamp from an electric battery accommodated in a hollowsupporting foot which constitutes the base 8.

I claim:

1. A fixture device for connecting lamp sockets to a source ofelectrical supply in such a manner that the conductors will not betwisted upon application of the lamp socket, comprising, a tubular metalsheath, conductors within said sheath, a lamp socket assembly includinga cap,

a terminal block and a shell carried by one end of the sheath, the capof said assembly being non-rotatably secured to the end of the sheath, apowdered insulating filling material within the sheath for maintainingthe conductors in relative predetermined fixed relation and insulatingthe same from the sheath, means at each end of the sheath for holdingsaid powdered insulating material therein, a water-resistant fillerwithin the cap of the lamp socket assembly and covering the means at oneend of the sheath for holding the powdered insulating material therein,said conductors extending through said water-resistant filler to therebyconnect with the terminals of the terminal block of the lamp socketassembly, a base rigidly secured to the end of the sheath opposite thelamp socket assembly, a connector block carried by the base and havingterminals to which said conductors are connected.

2. An electric fixture fitting comprising a tubular metal sheath,conductor wires therein, insulating material surrounding said conductorwires and filling the sheath to insulate the said Wires from the sheath,said wires having portions extending beyond the opposite ends of thesheath, a lamp socket assembly including a terminal block and cap andshell members, said cap member being rigidly secured to the sheath andsaid wires being connected with the terminal block, means within the capfor closing the end of the sheath which extends into the cap to seal theinsulating material in the sheath, a waterresistant filler within thecap for protecting a said last-named means, a base rigidly secured tothe end of the sheath opposite said lamp socket, means for holding theinsulating material within the end of the sheath adjacent the base, anda block carried by the base and having terminal posts connected to saidconductor wires.

3. An electric fixture fitting for connecting lamp sockets to a basewhereby the conductors leading to the lamp socket will not be twisted byapplication of the socket to the fixture, comprising a tubular metallicsheath, conductors within the sheath, insulating means within the sheathto maintain said conductors in predetermined fixed relation and toinsulate the same from, the sheath, a lamp socket assembly including capand shell members and a lamp socket terminal block having a fixedrelation to the conductor wires and including terminals to which thesaid conductor wires are connected, said cap member being rigidlysecured to the tubular sheath, a base rigidly fixed at the end of thetube opposite the cap of the lamp socket assembly, means at the end ofthe tube connected with the base for holding the insulating materialtherein, and a connector block carried by the base and having terminalposts to which the conductor wires of the tube are connected.

PHILIP BARKER ROBERTS.

